Splendid in its Silence (SPM Publications) is a must have. There’s a texture to a Jude Neale poem – power, gentleness, subtlety and truth all in one. Each poem is crafted precisely. She is a master of editing, as well as innuendo and imagery. We feel right there with her in the immediacy of each vivid image, from the moon as, “ice cream melting in a cobalt blue dish,” to a loved one “ready to let go of earth…and become part of sky.” There is so much in each mesmerizing breath, I’m reminded of the Zen wisdom, “A grain of sand contains all land and sea.” Splendid in its Silence is masterfully designed, every poem a gift of depth in an economy of words. Neale’s technical expertise with her craft offers galaxy after galaxy of delicious, life-affirming light. Highly recommended!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Jude Neale is a poet, vocalist, spoken-word performer and mentor. She is a full member of the League of Canadian Poets, The Federation of BC Writers and The Canadian Authors Association, and the author of The Perfect Word Collapses, Only the Fallen Can See and A Quiet Coming of Light, as well as the co-author of Cantata in Two Voices. A Blooming is forthcoming in 2019.

ABOUT THE REVIEWER: Cynthia Sharp is the author of Rainforest in Russet (Silver Bow Publishing, 2018) and The Light Bearers in the Sand Dollar Graviton (Sweetgrass in the Wind, 2018). She is a full member of the League of Canadian Poets and on the executive of the Federation of BC Writers, as the Greater Vancouver Regional Rep.